Apparatus and method for providing a provider-selected message in response to a user request for user-selected information

• US 7,110,962 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.), EdgeCast Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EdgeCast Software, Inc.
• Inventors: Amon, Thomas C., Baer, Dan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): REILLY, SEAN M
• Application Number:
  US10/001,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20040111463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/10, 709/227, 709/219, 709/203
• US Class Current: 705/14.73
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of delivering information across a computer network includes receiving a request from a client program for user-selected information, and transmitting provider-selected information in response to the request if no qualifying provider-selected message has been previously transmitted to the client program.

Claims

1. A method of delivering information across a computer network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a client program for user-selected information; and

transmitting one of (a) only a provider-selected commercially-sponsored message to the client program for display, in response to the request, if no provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting a provider-selected criteria has been previously transmitted to the client program, or (b) only the user-selected information to the client program for display, if a provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria has been previously transmitted to the client program;

wherein any provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria comprises HTML and javascript which causes the provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria to be displayed for a limited time period when it is transmitted, after which the client program automatically requests the user-selected information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said request from said client program is by means of the Hypertext Transport Protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the commercially-sponsored message transmitted to the client program for display is formatted for display in a browser window.

2. An apparatus for delivering information across a computer network, comprising:

a computer network; and

an information server for receiving a request for user-selected information from a client program;

the server configured to transmit one of (a) only a provider-selected commercially-sponsored message to the client program for display, in response to the request, if no provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting a provider-selected criteria has been previously transmitted to the client program, or (b) only the user-selected information to the client program for display, if a provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria has been previously transmitted to the client program;

wherein any provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria comprises HTML and javascript which causes the provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria to be displayed for a limited time period when it is transmitted by the server, after which the client program automatically requests the user-selected information from the server.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the commercially-sponsored message tat the server is configured to transmit to the client program is formatted for display in a browser window.

3. A method of delivering information across a computer network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a client program for user-selected information; and

transmitting one of (a) only a provider-selected commercially-sponsored message to the client program for display, in response to the request, if no provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting a provider-selected criteria has been previously transmitted to the client program within at least one provider-selected interval, or (b) only the user-selected information to the client program for display, if a provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria has been previously transmitted to the client program within at least one provider-selected interval;

wherein any provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria comprises HTML and javascript which causes the provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria to be displayed for a limited time period when it is transmitted, after which the client program automatically requests the user-selected information.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the commercially-sponsored message transmitted to the client program for display is formatted for display in a browser window.

4. An apparatus for delivering information across a computer network, comprising:

a computer network; and

an information server for receiving a request for user-selected information from a client program;

the server configured to transmit one of(a) only a provider-selected commercially-sponsored message to the client program for display, in response to the request, if no provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting a provider-selected criteria has been previously transmitted to the client program within at least one provider-selected interval, or (b) only the user-selected information to the client program for display, if a provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria has been previously transmitted to the client program within at least one provider-selected interval;

wherein any provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria comprises HTML and javascript which causes the provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the providers-selected criteria to be displayed for a limited time period when it is transmitted by the server, after which the client program automatically requests the user-selected information from the server.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the provider-selected commercially-sponsored message tat the server is configured to transmit to the client program for display is fonnatted for display in a browser window.

10. A method of delivering information across a computer network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a client program for user-selected information; and

transmitting one of (a) only a provider-selected commercially-sponsored message to the client program for display in a browser window associated with the client program, in response to the request, if no provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting a provider-selected criteria has been previously transmitted to the client program, or (b) only the user-selected information to the client program for display in a browser window associated with the client program, if a provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria has been previously transmitted to the client program;

wherein any provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria comprises HTML and javascript which causes the provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria to be displayed for a limited time period when it is transmitted, after which the client program automatically requests the user-selected information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of transmitting the user-selected information to the client program if the provider-selected commercially-sponsored message meeting the provider-selected criteria has been previously transmitted to the client program within at least one provider-selected interval.